The changing face of farming

Monday

Oct 27, 2008 at 12:01 AMOct 27, 2008 at 12:21 AM

Kathryn Ross

Taking a look at the changing face of farming in Allegany County, the New York Farm Bureau Inc. organized a tour of four farms in the Alfred and Andover area Friday for farm bureau members and local officials.
New York Farm Bureau Inc. Senior Field Advisor Timothy D. Bigham arranged tours of the Autumn Hill Alpaca Farm on Barrett Road, Kent Farms on Jones Road, Sunny Cove Organic Dairy on Randolph Road and the Bromeley-Daggett Equestrian Center at Alfred University on Lake Road.
Recognition, information concerning grant opportunities and an easing of regulations is what the farmers said they would ask of local and state officials.
“They don’t ask for much and that is surprising with the group they have here. We’re the ones who can make changes happen,” said Bigham. The New York State Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau are the largest lobby groups in the state and the nation, according to Farm Bureau Dist. 1 Representative Phyllis Couture.
“I would say there is always a lot to learn when you talk to farmers; each farmer faces different issues,” Bigham said.
Vice President of the Western new York Alpaca Association Cindy Vars, co-owner of Autumn Hill Alpacas with her husband Curt said, “We need help promoting alpaca as livestock and with facilitating communication to start and promote more alpaca farms.”
Vars also said knowledge of grant funding which could help establish alpaca farms would also be helpful. Adult alpaca cost between $10,000 and $15,000 and at least two females are needed to begin with.
She also said support for alpaca research at Cornell University should continue to be supported.
The second stop on the tour was Kent Farms where the group saw how large trees are balled and burlapped for delivery.
The Kents explained how they turned an established potato farm into a tree farm and further diversified with different kinds of trees, pumpkins, cows and some goats.
With the ears of local legislators turned to her, Kathy Kent urged, “Always be conscious of whose money you’re spending.”
She also said she’d like to learn about grant opportunities to make improvements in the business, and for bathrooms and signage.
Kent Farms seasonally employs around 50 people and is one of the leading employers of youth in the area, she said.
Heading across the hilltops and down into the valley near Alfred, the group arrived at Sunny Cove Farm operated by Jerry Snyder. He turned the family dairy farm into an organic dairy and sells some items out of a farm store. He urged officials to find some way of easing the regulations for the sale of organic milk and other farm products.
“To be able to sell to the people around us and to directly sell to local markets would help not only the local organic farmers, but also the customers who want organic products, and will help the local economy by keeping dollars locally. We need to build a system of food delivery, so dollars are recirculating in Allegany County,” he said.
At the Bromely-Daggett Equestrian Center, which is primarily used by Alfred University students, Director Nancy Kohler said, “We’re try to make it known to the general public that we’re here, so any help we can get with community outreach would be helpful.”
Koehler went on to say the center will be hosting public seminars early next year for horsemen, and she would also like to see other events take place at the center.
Throughout at least part of the tour, the group included Ernest Ramsey, president of the Allegany County Farm Bureau, Christine Mullen, an agent for Farm Family, Assemblyman Joe Giglio, R-Gowanda, Allegany County Legislature Chairman Curt Crandall, and legislators William Dibble, R-Little Genesee,Theodore Hopkins, R-Fillmore, Glenn Benson, R-Whitesville, Dwight Fanton, R-Wellsville, Michael McCormick, D-Andover, and Douglas Burdick, R-Alfred Station.
Fanton said he enjoyed the tour, adding, “Farming is always changing.”

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